Steam iron



y 1, 1957 B. L. DAWSON 2,792,652

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1477' ORA f) United States Patent O STEAM IRON Bertrum L. Dawson, Eau Claire, Wis., assignor of fifteen percent each to John P. Thornton and Wilfred M. Plante, Eau Claire, Wis.

Application November 9, 1955, Serial No. 545,972 8 Claims. (CI. 38-77) This invention relates to steam irons; e. g., to devices for applying steam to cloth in ironing or steaming articles of clothing, or furnishings, etc., to remove wrinkles from the same.

The invention has particular application and'utility in respect to electric flatirons of the familiar household type shown in the accompanying drawing, but its usefulness is not limited thereto.

Although it has been known for decades that the application of steam to articles being ironed is very helpful and advantageous in removing wrinkles therefrom, steam irons, of the most familiar household type, have come into their widest usage only in perhaps the past decade, and there still exist numerous unsolved problems which render the use of such steam irons less than completely satisfactory.

One principal disadvantage residing in steam irons heretofore sold is that they are not easily cleanable; that is, the area within them wherein the steam is created and produced is not easily accessible for removal of accumulated sediment left by the evaporated water.

A further principal disadvantage in prior irons with which I am familiar is the relatively large number of working parts, which, of course, materially increase cost of manufacture, and also increase the likelihood that the iron will become inoperable by reason of the failure of one or more of such many parts.

The iron of the present invention is so constructed that it may quickly and easily be disassembled for removal of accumulated sediment, etc., and it has a relatively much smaller number of parts than other steam irons being currently produced. For example, an iron made by a prominent manufacturer at one time contained 91 parts, later reduced to 69 parts. The iron of the present invention, in contrast, contains only 36 parts, in its present embodiment.

Steams irons as heretofore known were of two general types: (1) the boiler type and (2) the drip type. The iron of the present invention, on the other hand employs a principle essentially different from either of these, which I characterize as the inverted surface boiler principle. This new principle, which I employ, utilizes an inverted capillary evaporating system. The water does not drip upon a hot plate, nor does it boil in a tank as it does in the so-called boiler type of iron. The construction of the present invention has important advantages from both the engineering point of view, and the cost reduction point of view. Utilization of the construction described herein permits the saving of considerable space; it eliminates brazing and provides for extremely simple assembly and service. The steam control -mechanism in the iron of the present invention is more easily set, in production, and is easily adjustable in use. From the safety point of view, my iron (which avoids the boiling of a substantial amount of water in a closed chamber) is safe from explosion or rupture due to clogging of escape valves, etc. A further advantage of the present invention is that steam (ofthe proper moist type) is created more quickly than is possible safely, in the boiler type of iron where a relatively large volume of water is heated within a confined space.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an iron incorporating the structure of this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the iron of Figure 1.

The iron shown in the drawing comprises a body portion 2, fitted with a handle 3, of conventional type. Body 2 is provided with standard electrical controls 4, from which extends an electrical conducting wire 5 adapted to be inserted within an electrical outlet. Said controls 4 are in electrical connection, by conductors 6, with heating element 7 which is laid in any of a number of known manners, within soleplate 8. The heat generated in the iron may be controlled by manipulation of dial 8a.

Water chamber 9 is suspended within body 2 of the iron by suitable means (e. g, screws, welding, or such like).

Valve stem 10 passes downwardly through the top surface of body 2 and through both the upper and lower surface of water tank 9, containing water 11. Said valve stem 10 is encased within valve tube 12. Said stem 10 and tube 12 are, preferably, circular in cross-section. Stem It) is of lesser diameter than tube 12 to permit the flow of water downwardly between the inner surface of said tube and the outer surface of said stem. Suitable packing 13 (e. g., resilient gasket material) is provided about the circumference of tube 12, where that tube passes through the bottom of tank 9, to preclude the passage of water 11 downwardly along the outside surface of said tube.

The lower tip of valve stem 10 is provided with valve seat 14. The top end portion of stem 10 is threaded, and fitted with inner cap 15. Said cap, flanged in the manner shown, rests upon the upper tip of tube 12, and serves to hold stem 10 suspended therewithin. Said cap 15 is, in turn, fitted with knob 150. By rotation of said knob, valve stem 10 can be raised or lowered within valve tube 12, whereby valve seat 14 may be brought into and out of contact with the lower lip of valve tube 12. The lower end of tube 12 is provided with apertures 16, to permit the flow of water 11 from chamber 9 down between tube 12 and stem 10. The amount of water which will thus flow downwardly may be controlled by manipulation of knob 15 to bring seat 14 into or out of contact with tube 12.

Screen member 17, formed, in this instance, in the configuration of a truncated cone, is maintained in position depending from the bottom tip of valve stem 10, by screw .18 threaded upwardly into the bottom of valve seat 14. Springy metal member 19, also formed in the shape of a truncated cone, is likewise maintained in position dependent from the lower tip of stem 10 by said screw. Metal member 19 (conveniently provided with slits 20) serves to urge screen member upwardly and outwardly.

Cavity 21 extends upwardly from soleplate 8, into body 2. The limits of this cavity are defined by wall 22 which, in the embodiment shown, extends upwardly and angularly inward from soleplate 8. When the iron is in assembled form, screen 17, springy member 19, and wall 22 are all in close adjacency, and springy member 19 serves to urge screen 17 upwardly into pressing contact with wall 22. When the iron is connected to an electrical outlet, and it becomes hot by reason of heating element 7, wall 22 will be heated to a degree suflicient to produce steam. Upon adjustment of knob 15 a small amount of water (which has passed through apertures 16) will pass between. valve seat 14 and the lip of tube 12, and thence onto screen 17. Said screen is fabricated of metal or other durable material capable of withstanding relatively high temperatures, and is of a mesh preferably somewhat smaller than the mesh of an ordinary Window screen. As water descends onto screen 17, capillary attraction, gravity and surface tension will cause it to distribute itself in relatively uniform fashion about the entire area of said screen, and between said screen and the inner surface of Wall 22. In other words, the 'water will be distributed, as a thin film, over substantially the entire number of individual filaments or wirescomprising said screen. Surface tension will cause said water to be retained on the filaments of the screen, and within the interstices therein until such time (quite quickly) as it is converted to steam by heat transferred from wall 22. The Water is distributed over a wide area and thus becomes heated, to produce steam, very promptly.

, As the steam is created it passes downwardly out of the iron, onto the object being ironed through apertures 23, about the periphery of soleplate insert 24.

Said soleplate insert, formed with a peripheral flange 25, is set within soleplate 8 to provide a bottom for conical recess 21, and is maintained in position by screw held spring clip 26 or other means.

After the iron has been used for a period of months, or for a suificient time so that sediment should desirably be removed from it, screw 27 may be unthreaded, or other means of attachment removed, thereby permitting removal of soleplate insert 24. By disengagement of screw 18, screen 17 and springy member 19 may then be removed from cavity 21, for cleaning, and the inner surface of wall 22 may be scraped to remove sediment and deposits.

In use of the iron, water poured into cup-like mem ber 28 flows downwardly therefrom, through ports 29, and into tank 9. As knob a is turned, more or less water, as desired, will be permitted to flow through apertures 16. For convenience, indicator 30 may be utilized in connection with knob 15a, and lip 31 of member 28 may be calibrated, to indicate visually to the user the quantity of steam which will be produced. Coil spring 32 functions to maintain member 28 in position against the top of tank 9.

It should, of course, be understood that the particular configuration of the elements above described (particularly the shape of members 17, 19 and 22) could be modified. For example, said members could, although perhaps less suitably, be made spherical or spheroidal in configuration, or could be rectangular in shape. Furthermore, it will be obvious that the particular valve construction described, and the method of controlling the flow of Water through that valve could be varied in a number of different known ways. Also, although I have hereinreferred to member 17 as a screen, it should be understood that that member could be perforate, dimpled or slotted (orany combination of the foregoing, etc.) or otherwise formed to provide said member with a relatively large water-contacting surface, for impeding the flow ot water and holding the same.

Having described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A steam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate being formed with an aperture, a wall extending upwardly from the perimeter of said aperture into the body portion of said iron, the inner surface of said wall being formed so as to define a cavity in said body portion, a screen-like member having a configuration matching the configuration of the inner surface of said wall, means for holding said screen like member against the inner surface of said wall, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screen-like member and means for heating said wall to convert said water to steam, the aperture in said soleplate being provided with a soleplate insert, said insert having means for the escape of steam associated with it, said last means-being in communication with said cavity.

2. Asteam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate being formed with an aperture, a wall extending upwardly from the perimeter of said aperture into the body portion of said iron, the inner surface of said wall being formed so as to define a cavity in said body portion, a screen-like member having a configuration matching the configuration of the inner surface of said Wall, means for holding said screen-like member against the inner surface of said wall, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screen-like member, means for heating said wall to convert said Water to steam, and means for the escape of steam from said cavity, said last means being in communication with said cavity.

3. A steam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate being formed with a circular aperture, a Wall encircling said aperture and extending upwardly therefrom into the body portion of said iron, opposed portions of said wall converging toward each other as they extend upwardly, to form a generally conical cavity in said body portion, a conical screen-like member lying against the inner surface of said wall, a member holding said screen-like member in close adjacency with said wall, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screen-like member, and means for heating said Wall to convert said Water to steam, an outlet being provided for the escape of steam from said cavity.

4. A steam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate being formed with an aperture, a wall extending upwardly from the perimeter of said aperture into the body portion of said iron, the inner surface of said wall being formed so as to define a cavity in said body portion, a screen-like member having a configuration matching the configuration of the inner surface of said wall, means for holding said screenlike member against the inner surface of said well, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screen-like member, and means for heating water deposited on said screen-like member to convert said water to steam, an outlet being provided for the escape of steam from said cavity through said soleplate.

5. A steam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate being formed with an aperture, a Wall extending upwardly from the perimeter of said aperture into the body portion of said iron, the inner surface of said wall being formed so as to define a cavity in said body portion, a screen-like member adapted to lie against the inner surface of said wall, a member of configuration similar to said screen-like member adapted to hold said screen-like member against the inner surface of said wall, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screen-like member, and means for heating water deposited on said screen-like member to convert said water to steam, an outlet being provided for the escape of steam from said cavity through said soleplate.

6. A steam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate being formed with an aperture, a wall extending upwardly from the perimeter of said aperture into the body portion of said iron, the inner surface of said wall being formed so as to define a cavity in said body portion, a screen-like member adapted to lie against the inner surface of said wall, a springy member of configuration similar to said screenlike member adapted to hold said screen-like member against the inner surface of said Wall, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screen-like member, and means for heating water deposited on said screenlike member to convert said water to steam, an outlet being provided for the escape of steam from said cavity through said soleplate.

7. A steam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate having holes for the escape of steam, said 'body portion being formed with auinternal wall, theinner'surface thereof serving to define a cavity Within said body portion, a screen-like member lying against inner surfaces of said cavity, a springy member sandwiching sai-d screen-like member against the inner surface of said Wall, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screen-like member, and means for heating said wall to convert said water to steam, means being provided for the escape of steam from said cavity through said holes.

8. A steam iron comprising a body portion, a water tank, and a soleplate, said soleplate being formed with a circular aperture, a wall encircling said aperture and extending upwardly therefrom into the body portion of said iron, opposed portions of said wall converging toward each other as they extend upwardly, a closure at the top of said wall, a water-flow line from said Water tank into the area enclosed by said wall, a screen-like member lying against inner surfaces of said wall, a springy member of configuration matching the configuration of said screenlike member underlying said screen-like member, means for depositing water from said tank onto said screenlike member, and means for heating said wall to convert said water to steam, means being provided for the escape 10 of steam onto the article being ironed.

No references cited. 

